Flowers of Remembrance
by Wolverine18
Summary: What if Severus discovers Pettigrew is the traitor and warns Lily before Godric's Cottage is attacked by Voldemort? An AU fic exploring the development of characters in slightly altered circumstances, especially Severus and Harry.
1. Chapter 1

A/N I do not own any of J.K. Rowling's characters or the Harry Potter series

Chapter 1

"Pettigrew, is that you?" Severus spat, gazing with fury on the cowering lump of a man.

"Severus, thank goodness, You Know Who must have captured me," Pettigrew sniffled, and Severus narrowed his eyes and snatched the wand from his hands, shoving him against the wall.

"Then why do you have a wand, you useless pile of dragon dung," Severus growled, "So you're the traitor, right under Potter and Black's nose."

"Surely you understand, Severus, they treat me like dirt," Pettigrew cried, and Severus removed his arm, idly twirling the wand in his fingers.

"Of course I understand, don't you remember that nickname you used to call me?" he shot back, "Ah yes, Snivellus."

"But Severus, Severus, we're both serving the Dark Lord now," Pettigrew whined, and Severus pondered for a moment. This information would undoubtedly be useful.

"Obliviate," Severus pointed Pettigrew's wand at him, then placed it back into his hands, leaving the little rat none the wiser.

* * *

><p>"Lily!" Severus exclaimed, as the redhead strode into the living room at Spinner's End. Her emerald eyes were flashing dangerously, and Severus spotted her wand partially hidden up her sleeve.<p>

"Why have you sent me this note, Snape," Lily said cooly, thrusting the crumpled bit of parchment toward his chest.

"I just meant to warn you, Lily," he croaked, regretting that his wand lay on the coffee table.

"Have you told Dumbledore? Or has he banned you from his presence as a stinking Death Eater!" Lily roared, slamming his door behind her.

"Of course I told Dumbledore! I flooed right after I wrote the note to you, and Dumbledore informed the Longbottoms. Have you moved to another safe house yet?" Severus replied, putting his hands up in an expression of deference.

"Why would we, you're obviously lying about Peter. He's much too dependant on Albus to turn to You Know Who," she scoffed. Severus felt the blood drain out of his face.

"Lily, where are young Harry and James?" Severus asked slowly.

"Godric's Hollow, where else," Lily folded her arms across her chest after putting her wand in the pocket of her robe.

"Dammit," he swore, "Apparate to Godric's Hollow immediately, I'll send along a patronus to Dumbledore." He dashed across the living room to retrieve his wand, muttering the spell and passing along a message to the Order. Lily watched him for a moment, before her eyes widened.

"Harry!" she cried, and apparated out.

"That stupid fool James, too arrogant for his own good," Severus grumbled before following her.

He was about to ask her to lead him to the house before he glimpsed the crumbling wreck of a cottage a couple houses up the street. Her red hair flashed like fire as she sprinted to it, and he shouted warnings at her as he followed. A small crowd of curious neighbors were gazing at the cottage, huddling together and whispering. The remains of the iron gates were on opposite sides of the hedged in front lawn, and the front door lay to the right of the doorway. As he crossed the hedges he heard a muffled feminine scream, and he redoubled his efforts to catch up to Lily.

The inside looked blackened and dusty, the furniture askew and broken. Luckily the stairs were satisfactory, and he raced up them into what he assumed was the nursery. The walls were nearly covered in cracks, and part of the ceiling had fallen in, partially burying the body of James Potter, his wand clutched in his right hand and eyes forever staring ahead, and Severus stooped to close them, disliking their accusatory gaze. Lily seemed unconcerned with the carnage, attempting to lift a large section of the debris in front of a crib.

"I'll do it," Severus mumbled, levitating it easily with his wand, revealing a pile of black robes, a wand, and an unconscious toddler. Lily pushed past him to cradle baby Harry, while Severus pocketed the wand for safekeeping, poking the black robes with his foot. He glanced back towards Harry.

"I think he's sleeping," Lily murmured shakily, patting the top of his head.

"Lily, we should leave before the ceiling collapses entirely. The Order will be here shortly, Dumbledore will know what to do with-" Severus paused, ducking his head, "Dumbledore will know what to do." Lily nodded, walking quickly out of the nursery and pulling Harry close.

A small crowd had already gathered, mostly Muggles from the houses surrounding the small community of Godric's Hollow, but Severus recognized Bathilda Bagshot and Minerva McGonagall trying to shunt the Muggles away from the scene. A series of large cracks pierced the air, and Albus Dumbledore appeared, followed by Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Arthur Weasley, and Frank Longbottom. All of the younger men immediately drew their wands upon seeing Severus and a weeping Lily.

"What are you doing here, Snivellus?" Sirius asked. He looked around for a moment, before continuing, "Where's James, Lily? Is he still inside?" This caused Lily to break out in loud sobs, and Severus felt a greater need to comfort her.

"Are you daft, Black? Haven't you upset Lily enough? Why do you think she's crying, you idiot? The Dark Lord has attacked, did you think there would not be any consequences, or are you so arrogant to believe that your precious best friend could best the second most powerful wizard in our world?" Severus hissed, as Dumbledore motioned for them to lower their wands. Sirius' face crumbled instantly, and Severus felt a small measure of pity for his childhood bully.

"Severus is here for the same reason as all of you, under my orders," Albus said firmly, "Sirius, would you like to retrieve James, I understand if you don't want to, but you were his best friend."

"No, I'll do it," Sirius choked out, bolting towards the cottage and disappearing within it.

"Minerva, would you like to escort Lily and Harry to Hogwarts? I believe Bathilda will allow us to use her Floo. Gentlemen, if you would be so kind, apparate to Hogsmeade and meet me in my office, I will be along shortly with Sirius." Albus instructed, following Sirius into the cottage. Minerva strode towards Lily and put an arm around her, while Bathilda took little Harry from Lily and Lily buried her face into Minerva's robes as they walked away. The men nodded to each other before apparating.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Lily, are you ready to go?" a man's voice called through the hallway. Lily hurried to answer, sticking her head through the door.

"I'll be right down Sirius, I just finished dressing Harry," Lily called. She looked at her smiling baby, his emerald eyes flashing and arms waving. He hadn't shown any signs of physical or emotional trauma, though Dumbledore insisted that Voldemort must have inflicted a curse, he just had a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Most of the Healers insisted that he keep the memento of the night his father died, but one expert on curses, Healer Abbott, agreed that a scar given to Harry by Voldemort was undeniably dangerous. Lily sighed, a growing list of obligations and appointments looming towards her endlessly.

"Pafoo," Harry giggled, and Lily shot him a wan smile.

"Yes, exactly, Padfoot," she agreed, "We're going to say goodbye to Daddy, Harry, you should really be a bit more upset. I suppose it can't be helped that you don't understand yet."

"Da? Where's Da?" he responded, his smile dimming a little.

"Onto the next adventure, my darling," Lily murmured, picking Harry up and slinging his diaper bag onto her shoulder.

Sirius was standing in the hallway, leaning heavily against the wall. His face looked vacant without the mischievous grin that it usually held, and the dark circles under his eyes were not complemented by his midnight dress robes.

"You look terrible," Sirius commented, holding out his arms for Harry.

"No worse than you," Lily replied dully.

"Pafoo! Up!" Harry commanded.

"Alright, alright, I've got you," Sirius smiled a bit, even laughing when Harry tugged at his hair, "Guess I need a haircut, huh?"

"You can Floo to the Ministry with Harry, I've got to get Petunia and drive her over from Privet Drive," Lily handed over the bag.

"Your sister wants to come?" he raised his eyebrows.

"I suppose she's finally realized that having magic isn't the cure she always thought it was. She probably imagined what it'd feel like if Vernon died and left her and Dudley alone. Whichever reason, I'm glad to have my sister back," Lily explained, "I'll see you later." She walked quickly towards the front door, locking it behind her. At the gate she paused and looked backward towards the house.

After their cottage in Godric's Hollow collapsed Lily and Harry moved to a small property near Ottery St. Catchpole where the Potters owned a modest house. It was a dreary grey color with black shingles, and Lily felt no need to charm it to a more cheerful color. With the lights extinguished it looked especially empty, Lily felt it suited her perfectly.

* * *

><p>"I'm really happy you're coming, Petunia," Lily remarked as Petunia drove them both to London.<p>

"We were both spiteful children, Lily, but I'm honestly ashamed it took the death of your spouse for us to put things right between us. I will pay my respects as is my duty as your sister," Petunia smiled warmly at Lily before shifting her eyes back to the road.

"It's wonderful to have a friend like you, especially for Harry's sake. He'll love playing with his cousin. I think it'll be nice to have a place to escape the Wizarding World," Lily responded, staring down at her clasped hands and her wedding ring.

"Privet Drive is probably the furthest place from the magical world, that's true," Petunia chuckled.

"Yes, yes it is. I'm afraid the publicity will only get worse as Harry grows up. We get about twenty owls a day as it is, all thanking Harry for killing a dark wizard, paltry condolences when they remember them," Lily said bitterly.

"Do they really think that Harry was the reason that Voldemort fellow died? He's just a toddler, I'd be impressed if he could say 'Petunia' much less summon the power to destroy an adult wizard," Petunia said.

"Dumbledore wants them to believe it, he wants to use Harry as a symbol of the light. I might have even let him if I hadn't told him how Voldemort died, and it certainly wasn't Harry's doing," Lily sighed.

"It's quite difficult to understand how love works, and love as a magical force must be something to be reckoned with. You know that James saved Harry, and we know that James saved Harry, so we'll just have to tell the truth," Petunia reasoned.

"Some might not like the truth, Tuney," Lily replied.

"Then surround yourself with people who do, there's got to be some logical people in that antiquated world of yours," Petunia joked, which earned her a small smile from Lily.

"When did you get to be so wise, Tuney?" Lily asked.

"I read," Petunia said simply, "where am I supposed to park?"

* * *

><p>The atrium at the Ministry was completely transformed for the ceremony. The massive figures on the fountain wore gloomy faces and the water was frozen magically, symbolizing the lives cut short in the war. Each of the fireplaces for the Floo were draped with black cloth and glimmered with reflections of a different witch or wizard who had fallen in the battles. The coffins were lined up on the far side and surrounded by flowers from mourners, and wooden chairs filled up, some reserved for family members with white ribbons.<p>

Lily walked side by side with Petunia towards James' coffin, holding on to her hand tightly. A few other family members were there, Lily saw Amelia Bones gazing into Edgar's coffin, holding her niece Susan. Sirius was there, of course, but he wasn't at James' coffin, but one to the far right. He wasn't alone, Lily saw the forbidding figure of Severus Snape and her eyebrows raised involuntarily.

"Isn't that the Snape boy?" Petunia whispered.

"Yes," Lily responded.

"Did he lose a relation as well, one who lived in your world?" Petunia asked.

"I didn't think he had any that he spoke to," Lily explained. They approached to hear Sirius and Severus conversing.

"You, you told them to bring Regulus here?" Sirius said angrily.

"Yes, I did," Severus said shortly, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"He followed Voldemort," Sirius hissed.

"I assure you, once he discovered the Dark Lord's methods his allegiance to the Dark Lord was...extinguished. If you don't believe me you can refer to Dumbledore, or your delightful cousin Bellatrix, I've been told she's in an Auror holding cell awaiting trial. She's claimed to me that she witnessed his death, and I do not doubt the sincerity in her hatred," Severus elaborated, folding his arms against his chest.

"Can you take him?" Sirius croaked out.

"What?" Severus barked.

"I can't hold him anymore, here, take him," Sirius broke down, thrusting Harry into Severus' arms and falling down in front of his brother.

"Black-" Severus began, before sighing dramatically and taking hold of Harry gingerly.

"Regulus, why didn't you tell me? All these years, I thought that you were gone, worse than dead. I hated you, I hated what they pushed you into. Regulus, I would have helped you, I should have helped you, at Hogwarts. I was so focused on being different, I hated that you were perfect, the golden child. Turns out you're much braver than me, aren't you? I wish you would have told me," Sirius mumbled through his tears. Severus had the tact to look away, spotting Lily and Petunia and hurrying towards them.

"Lily, Petunia," he nodded.

"He won't explode," Petunia noted, looking at the loose hold Severus had on Harry, almost at arm's length.

"That remains to be seen, Petunia," Severus quipped, moving Harry towards her, and she cuddled Harry and smiled at him.

"Hello, cutie," she cooed.

"Petunia, I'm going to go see Sirius," Lily said, reassured that Harry was in capable hands.

"Alright, I'll take Harry over to the seats, then," Petunia moved Harry to her hip with practiced ease and Severus followed her awkwardly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it. Sorry for the delay, I've been assigned a myriad of essays.

"You know, you don't have to be back at work yet, Lily," Alice's voice broke through her thoughts.

"It's better than being at home, alone with Harry," Lily responded, handing Alice a file and dipping her quill in a pot to begin another document. Alice sighed dramatically and sat down in the empty chair next to Lily.

"You've had the same look on your face the whole week, Lily. It's normal to go through the grieving process, have you talked to Sirius about it?" Alice said, placing an arm on Lily's shoulder. Lily shot her a glare and promptly spilled the ink pot over, staining her Healer's robes.

"Damn," she cursed, siphoning the ink off quickly and turning her attention to Alice, "No offense, but I am trying to work, Alice." Alice rolled her eyes.

"This paperwork is due in a week, Lily, you've been working overtime since you started back at St. Mungo's," she said.

"I have a lot of work to catch up on," Lily defended.

"That's ridiculous and you know it! The supervisor told all of us to relax, especially you!" Alice hollered, and Lily stood up.

"Some of us don't have loving husbands to go home to and eat lunch with!" Lily shouted, and stormed out of the office.

She yelled a excuse at her supervisor as she slammed the door to the collection of offices, flicking her wand at the glass pane in the door when it broke. Slipping out of her healer's robes, she threw them into the locker room at the end of the hallway. Another figure stooped to pick them up from the floor, but Lily continued on into the waiting room before bursting out into London. The muggles passing by took no notice of her, and Lily relished in the absence of the sympathetic looks of her so-called friends and coworkers, strolling across the street to a little pub close to St. Mungo's.

Lily paid no attention to the lack of other pedestrians, her eyes widening as a BMW came screeching towards her, fumbling with her wand. Glancing around at the muggles lining the street watching, she prepared herself for impact while attempting to tell her legs to move. Something gripped the back of sweater clad arm, pulling her back to the sidewalk right before the BMW slid to a halt.

"Hey, lady, are you alright?" a loud voice called from the BMW, a middle aged man shouting over the door.

"I'm fine," Lily called back, ignoring the ache in her palms that had resulted from her landing on the concrete.

"Look where you're going next time!" he yelled back before speeding off. She sighed and buried her face in her hands.

"I know you're going through a hard time, Lily, but you have to think of Harry. This isn't the answer, and you know it," a startled Severus Snape admonished her, and Lily glared up at him from the ground.

"I didn't watch out for cars, Sev, I'm hardly suicidal."

"I saw you rush out of St. Mungo's and I heard you yelling at Alice through the wall, I assumed you were distraught."

"Well, I'm not. At least not enough to kill myself."

"I realize that now."

"Good."

He extended his arm to help her up. The small crowd that had gathered to watch dissipated after it was clear that nothing really interesting was happening.

"Where were you going, Lily?" Severus asked.

"Late lunch," she answered, looking over across the street.

"If you would like, you could join myself and Remus at the Leaky Cauldron," he offered.

Lily raised her eyebrows.

"You're having lunch with Remus?"

"It has become a regular occurrence, yes."

"You had lunch with Remus before?"

"That is what that means."

"Why?"

"We have only worked together for three years, I would say we are more than passing

acquaintances." Lily folded her arms, and Severus rolled his eyes at her.

"You're impossible, Sev."

They began walking to the Leaky Cauldron, lapsing into silence for a few blocks. Lily

was in no mood to endure apparation and simply gazed at the sights of London. As they neared the entrance to Diagon Alley, a young boy offered a newspaper to Severus, and Lily was shocked when he bought it.

"You read the muggle papers?" she said quietly, uncrossing her arms.

"Obviously," he smirked a little, as Lily gave him yet another glare.

"Most people in our world don't bother," she mused.

"A habit I picked up from my father," Severus explained, "One of the few things of worth, I suppose." He held the door for her as they entered, calling greetings to Tom as they crossed over to the booth with Remus Lupin.

* * *

><p>"Lily!" Remus exclaimed, rising from his seat to embrace her for a moment, "I didn't realize that Severus invited you." Severus studied him for a moment, discerning that he looked better than normal.<p>

"He hadn't until a few minutes ago," Lily smiled at Remus, sliding into the booth and picking up a menu from the condiments holder.

"After she nearly got killed by some muggle in a BMW," Severus added, sitting next to Remus.

"What? Are you alright?" Remus exclaimed, looking from Lily to Severus.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Lily chuckled, not looking up from her menu, "Sev pulled me back before it hit me."

"Have you been taking the potion?" Severus changed the subject abruptly.

"Well, yes, Severus," Remus said tersely, "You told me to."

"Looks like it's been helping, Lupin," Severus noted.

"You look less pale, Remus, what potion is Sev talking about?" Lily mentioned, setting her menu down.

"That Belby fellow just patented the Wolfsbane potion, and Severus was kind enough to brew it for me," Remus explained.

"I heard that the effects were still rudimentary," Lily tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I may have made a few adjustments," Severus acknowledged, and Lily's eyes widened.

"Without testing them? You didn't, Sev."

"At my direction he did."

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!"

"About as dangerous as strolling in front of a moving vehicle, I would guess."

"Severus! I told you that was an accident!"

"I trust Severus and his potions skills. He does have a mastery in it."

"And I have a mastery in healing, but that doesn't make me the perfect Healer!"

"It makes you less likely to make dunderheaded mistakes."

"I believe Tom is ready for our order," Remus broke in, nodding his head towards the bartender, who hurried over.

"Decided, are we?" Tom grinned.


End file.
